Customer Reviews

Old Records Never Die: Mott the Hoople / Ian Hunte

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This isn't a bad collection, but as anthologies go, it's far from complete, and there are some glaring omissions ("I Wish I Was Your Mother" from Mott years..."Michael Picasso" from Ian's solo years). For the same price, one would be much better off getting hold of Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter's JOURNEY: A RETROSPECTIVE. It's the same price as this collection and has three discs...and is a much more comprehensive overview of Mott/Ian Hunter. Plus, for the same price, you get 53 wonderful track (instead of the 32 songs on this collection). The extra 21 songs on JOURNEY: A RETROSPECTIVE go a long way towards filling in the gaps by including songs that are both essential & marvelous.

I echo the previous review and suggest you save your money on this Ian Hunter collection. For me, it is missing too many of the older, more popular tracks that are included at just about all his live shows as well as the stronger tracks from his last couple of releases.

The two biggest exceptions that warranted my 2-star review are:

1) Not sure how several crowd pleasing tracks that find their way into just about every concert, namely "Michael Picasso"(a tribute to his late collaborator, Mick Ronson), "23A Swan Hill"(a rockin' autobiographical number), and "All of the Good Ones are taken"(Hunter even joked during the 2007 concert I attended this was the standout number from his less-than-exciting works of the 80's) were left off.

2) Am questioning who decided the somewhat average opening tracks from his last two albums were the best representation of those works. I imagine fans of 2002's "Rant" and 2007's "SHrunken Heads" might be asking the same question.

Won't say this is a bad compilation but I feel it falls far short of being a "Best of" also. I would say if you can get this CD at the current used price of $11.50, then that might be worth it. But I do not agree shelling out [...] for a new one is a good deal, fan or a soon-to-be-fan. If you are new to Mott/HUnter, for about the same money, I suggest you start with either a Hoople greatest hits or one of the works from Mott's "peak" period, either "All the Young Dudes" or "Mott," and then perhaps compliment that with what some call his solo masterpiece, "You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic." At that point, you will either love the guy or forget about him.

I love Mott The Hoople's and Ian Hunter's records. I became a fan when Mott's first LP was released on Atlantic and still follow Hunter's career closely. There are great songs on this collection, with a few glaring omissions such as Irene Wild, I Get So Excited and Hymn for the Dudes. The strangest gaffe here is that there is no material whatsoever from Hunter;s rollicking solo disc "Dirty Laundry" my favorite of his post-Mott offerings along with "You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic", instead using a track from the dismal "YUIORTA". Not a bad collection altogether, just could have been much better.

Ian Hunter is by far one of greatest

songwriters in rock history & still

going strong. He doesn't get the

attention as some of these other

guys [the boss, joel, sting] get

& in my opinion don't deserve but

this anthology proves what's great about

rock & roll. Features Mott the Hoople

classics & solo material. Of course I'm

a big fan & have all this but if you

don't or never heard you don't know

what your missing. It was great rock

then & great rock now. It's nothing

like you'll ever hear again. Buy it!

Oh man, does this take me back, as any great band should. Rock and glamour, nobody beats Ian Hunter and Mott. These guys cook, well done!